Water elevator and motor



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. E. SYMO-NS. WATER ELEVATOR AND MOTOR.

Patented Aug. 20, 1895.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. E. SYMONS. WATER ELEVATOR AND MOTOR.

Patented Aug. 20,1895.

WZZ/ww A fiVazzfir (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' .J. E. SYMONS. WATER ELEVATOR AND MOTOR. N0. 544,755. Patented Aug.20, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSIAH E. SYMONS, OF BOISE CITY, IDAHO.

WATER ELEVATOR AND MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,755, dated August20, 1895.

Appli ati n fi February 1, 1895. Serial No. 537,015- (No model.)

City, in the county'of Ada, State of Idaho,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Water Elevatorsand Motors,v

of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic apparatus wherebythe force of the current of a stream may be made available for raisingwater or driving machinery.

It consists of a series of propelling-blades having substantially planesurfaces, which are secured to endless traveling carriers atsubstantially right angles to the direction of travel thereof and areplaced in a stream at an angle to the direction of the current thereof.By securing plane-surfaced blades on the one hand at right angles to thesupporting-car; riers and, on the other hand, by placing the carriersand blades in the stream at an angle to the direction of the currentthereof I secure certain peculiar advantages, which will be hereinafterreferred to.

The best embodiment of my invention at present known to me is that shownin the drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of a portion thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 aredetail views of the propellerbucket, Fig. 3 being a section on the line3 3 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is aperspective detail view of a modified construction, showing the use of aguide-rail by the side of the upstream-cable.

a or are endless cables passing over the sheaves b b, c c, and d d. Ofthese sheaves b b are suitably journaled on the upstream-support A, andc c and d d are journaled in up: right standards B, rising from thedownstream-support C. These supports A and C are preferably boatssuitably anchored and maintained the proper distance apart by the planksD D. The supports may, however, consist of piles or other rigidstandards. They are so placed that the apparatus will stand at an angle,preferably about thirty degrees, to the direction of the current.Pivotally secured to the cables a a, at right angles thereto, by meansof the clamps e e, the rod f, and the straps g g, are the propellers h.It the apparatus is to be used for raising water, as is the formillustrated in the drawings, bucketsvl are formed on the downstream orforward side of the propellers. These buckets are constructed in themanner shown in the drawings. Their ends are made at an angle to thepropellerblade, so that they may not form an obstruction to the passageof the current, and their bottoms are formed at an angle, so that thecurrent may tend to lift them and relieve the cables of a portion of theweight. Diagonal chains j j hold the propeller in a vertical workingposition. Theforce of the current bearing against the propellers 72.held thus vertically causes the propellers and cables to travel towardthe downstream-support, lifting the filled buckets up the standards Band discharging their contents into the trough E, from whence it flowsby gravity to-the desired points. In order that one cable may not workahead of the other and twist the 'propellers,l provide the diagonalguy-chains 7c and allow each of the sheaves b b, c c, and d d to turnindependently of its neighbor by journaling one or both loosely upon theshaft.

Projecting from each end of the propellerblade,near the bottom thereof,is the cranked axle 1, upon whichis secured the antifrictionroller m.This construction serves a double full of water is passing from itsvertical toits downwardly-inclined position as the cables go over thesheaves dd the bucket hangs between the sheaves and forms the chord ofthe sheave-arc, while the cables are traveling in the are. Thus thelower end of the bucket is traveling slower than the cables againstwhich it bears, and hence must slide back upon them. Theantifriction-rollers mallow the buckets to do this without excessivewear upon the cables, which would be the case causes the bucket to betipped suddenly and its contents to be discharged with less loss thanotherwise. During the descent of the buckets the cranked axles hold themabove the cables, and when passing around the sheaves b b they'drop overand are properly filled. The chains j j, which hold the propellers whenworking in a vertical position, unite where they cross into the ring n.By hooking these rings onto the hooks 0 on the rods f the buckets may bemaintained in a purpose. It will be seen that when the bucket I withoutrollers. The cranking of the axle Z.

folded-up position, and thus the speed of the apparatus is graduallychecked. After the buckets are folded up the upper boat A may be drawnin to the bank and the apparatus will. remain at rest.

The angular position of the apparatus secures independent pressure uponeach of the propeller-blades, as one blade does not shield another.Since the propeller blades have plane surfaces on their current sidesand are placed at right angles to the carrying-cables and at an angle tothe direction of the current and are free to move in the direction ofthe cables, it follows that the force of the current upon the propellerswill be all expended in driving them in the direction of their travel,and there will be no tendency for the cables to sag downstream. Thisoperation will only result when the propeller-blades have substantiallyplane surfaces and are at substantially right angles to the direction ofcable travel. This is important, asitobviates the necessity forguide-rails or other appliances to preventlateral sagging of the cables.In very turbulent streams, however, and in streams where a rocky bedcauses the current to form eddies, it is sometimes desirable to providea guide to prevent swaying of the cables. Such a construction is shownin Fig. 5, where the upstream-clamp e is extended into or connected withthe arm 19, to which is adj ustably secured the grooved roller g. Thisroller rides upon the T-rail or inverted deckbeam 0', which'issupported, preferably,-in a somewhat tipped position across the streamparallel to the lower cables.

Although I have shown the apparatus equipped only for elevating water,it is obvious that it is adapted for other purposes, such as drivingmills, drc.

Various changes of form, proportion, and construction may, of course, bemade without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do notwish to be understood as limiting myself to any specific constructionfurther than is pointed out definitely in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a water motor, in combination, an endless flexible travelingcarrier, supported 1 trtly in a stream and partly above the stream andat an angle less than a right angle to the direction of the currentthereof and having each point thereof adapted to move throughout in onesubstantially vertical plane, a series of blades having substantiallyplane surfaces and connected to said carrier at substantially rightangles to the direction of travel thereof, whereby the blades areadapted to move down stream in the water and upstream out of the water,for the purpose specified.

2. In a water motor, in combination, an endless flexible travelingcarrier supported partly in astream and partly above the stream and atan angle less than a right angle to the direction of the current thereofand having each point thereof adapted to move throughout in onesubstantially vertical plane, a se ries of blades having substantiallyplane surfaces and pivotally connected to said carrier at substantiallyright angles to the direction of travel thereof and adapted to dependtherefrom in the water when they are traveling downstream, all operatingsubstantially in the manner described, whereby the blades are adapted,after having moved down-stream in the water, to move up-stream out ofthe water and whereby free egress is allowed for the water after it hasacted upon ,any blade, for the purpose specified.

3. In a Water elevator, the combination with two supports locatedobliquely opposite, one on each side of asuitable portion ofthe width ofa stream of water, of carrier-wheels carried by said supports andadapted to revolve in substantially vertical planes, an endless flexibletraveling carrier mounted upon said wheels and adapted to movetip-stream-ward out of the water, propeller-blades pivotally connectedto said carrier at substantially right angles to the direction of travelthereof, and buckets attached to the propeller blades, for the purposespecified.

4. In a Water elevator, in combination, supports located obliquely withreference to the current of a stream between them, carrierwheels mountedin said supports, an endless flexible carrier adapted to travel aroundsaid wheels in substantially first a horizontal plane, then a verticalplane and then a diagonal plane back to the starting point,propeller-blades pivotally connected to said carrier at substantiallyright angles across the same, said propeller-blades depending verticallyin the water while said carrier is traveling in said horizontal planewhereby free egress is allowed the water after ithas acted upon anyblade, said propeller-blades assuming positions approximately parallelto said carrier while traveling in the said vertical and diagonalplanes, and buckets secured to said blades, for the purpose specified,

5. In a water elevator, in combination, a

pair of carrier-wheels on a substantially horizontal axis suitablymounted in a support, two pairs of carrier-wheels on substantiallyhorizontal axes one higher than the other mounted in a second support,said supports being placed obliquely with reference to the direction ofthe current of a stream between them, two endless cables parallel toeachother and each traveling around three of said wheels,propeller-blades pivotally connected to said cables at substantiallyright angles thereto, buckets secured to said propellerblades, means formaintaining said propellerblades perpendicular to the plane of thecables during a portion of their travel, for the purpose specified.

6. In a water motor, in combination, carrierwheels, an endless carriermounted upon said wheels and having parallel members, crossrodsconnecting said members, propellerblades supported by said cross-rods,means for limiting the movements of the propellerblades, and flexiblebraces arranged diagonally between the members of the carrier,substantially as specified.

7. In a water motor, the combination with carrier-wheels, and an endlesscarrier mounted upon said wheels, of propeller-blades connected to thecarrier and adapted to be folded parallel with or extended perpendicularto the plane of the same, limiting or guy chains connected to the freeedges of the propellerblades and attached at the other end to thecarrier, said chains being arranged in pairs with their membersintersecting, rings arranged at the intersection of said chains, andhooks for engaging the said rings to secure the blades in their foldedpositions, substantially as specified.

8. In a water elevator, the combination with carrier-wheels, and anendless carrier mounted th ereou, of propeller blades swiveled in thecarrier, means for holding said blades in their operative positions, andbuckets carried by said blades and having downwardly and forwardlyinclined bottoms, substantially as specified.

9. In a water elevator, the combination with carrier-wheels, and anendless carrier mounted thereon, of propellerblades pivotally connectedto' said carrier, means for holding said blades in their operativepositions, andbuckets formed upon the down-stream side of said blades,said buckets having their down-stream sides narrower than saidpropeller-blades whereby the up-stream edges of said buckets present noobstruction to the current when the carrier travels at an appropriateangle to the direction of the current, substantially as specified.

JOSIAH E. SYMONS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES L. HINE, ALBERT H. BATES.

